This invention pertains generally to elastic fabrics of the velcro type, i.e. fabrics which are adapted to be held or fastened together by the interlocking of pile hooks (male members) into outwardly extending loops (female member) of the corresponding mating fabric. Velcro is a trademark believed to be owned by Velcro USA Inc. of Manchester, NH, for fabrics of this type. These type fabrics have been known and used for an number of years. While certain elastic Velcro fabrics have been disclosed in the prior art, none is known to be constructed in the manner herein disclosed. Nor is any known to provide the beneficial properties exhibited by the fabrics herein disclosed.
More specifically, DeBrabander U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,981 discloses an elastic Velcro type fabric provided with two specific hooking-up weaves, one supporting hooks and the other supporting loops. Referring to the loops and loop support, the loops are non-stretch "monoyarns" which stand upwardly from a loop support weave comprising multifilament nylon weft and warp with resilient stuffer yarns of natural or synthetic material to provide elasticity in the fabric.
DeBrabander, in order to provide stablity to the fabric, requires a thermal sizing treatment to set or fix the loops on the fabric. This prevents the loops from stretching out during elastic extension which would otherwise render the loops inoperative for receiving the hooks. This thermal sizing step is essential to DeBranbander in order to maintain the fastening characteristics of the fabric. This apparently follows from the fact that DeBrabander uses non-stretch monofilament yarns for the loops. Thus, sizing is essential with DeBrabander to maintain the flatness of the fabric and the upstanding loops in the warp direction.
Morforio U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,307 also discloses a female Velcro fabric. In this arrangement the loops are produced by using a combination of shrinkable warp threads together with partly or non-shrinkable warps. After weaving of the two types of yarns, the fabric is subjected to a heat treatment which shrinks the shrinkable threads and thereby draws the non-shrinkable threads into upwardly extended loops. Thus Morforio, like DeBrabander, requires an intermediate process (heat treatment) in order to achieve this looping action. While Morforio discloses an alternative use of elasticized warps, it appears that this is to provide looping just prior to a setting and fixing stage, since the loops are made of inelastic yarns and thus would flatten out (thereby becoming inoperative) if the fabric were stretched in a warp-wise direction.
Neither of these fabrics, nor any other known fabrics, provide the benefits of the herein disclosed invention as now will be briefly summarized.